1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to multifunction communication devices, such as, but not limited to, devices that integrate facsimile, scanner, copier and/or printer functions, and more particularly to improved user recognition support and functionality for such devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the use of copiers, facsimiles, scanners, printers and e-mail have gained popularity and acceptance in the workplace, users of such devices have become increasingly dependant on them. Users have come to depend, for example, on the ease and convenience of sending and receiving e-mails and facsimiles of business correspondence, documents, etc. Users have also become accustomed to printing a copy of an electronic document at their disposal so that they can have a hard copy of the electronic document.
The convenience provided, and increasingly expected from copiers, facsimiles, scanners, printers and e-mail is enhanced by a multifunction device that integrates the functionality of a copier, a facsimile, a scanner, and/or e-mail into a single device. The advent and ubiquitous presence of the Internet has also raised users"" expectations of accessibility to copiers, facsimiles, scanners, printers, e-mail and other sources of electronic information.
Users of e-mail, personal information managers (PIMs), and contact managers, whether using a PC or personal digital assistant (PDA), oftentimes generate and save contact information, including a list of other people to whom they intend to keep in contact with. The contact information generally includes a recipient""s name, e-mail address, and other contact information, such as but not limited to, phone number, facsimile number, mailing address, etc. By generating and maintaining the contact information, an e-mail user can quickly and efficiently send an e-mail message to one or more recipients on their contact list without having to manually enter the e-mail address for each intended recipient.
Some printers, copiers and facsimiles incorporate functionality, or are controlled by device drivers or other software that enable the use of a contact list. For example, some facsimile machines can be programmed with the names and numbers (i.e., contacts) for transmitting facsimiles to frequently dialed numbers using a speed dial functionality of the facsimile. As another example, some types printers or copiers on a network (e.g., LAN, internet, etc.) can be addressed using a contact list resident on a user""s desktop PC. In this example, the copier or printer""s network address is listed in a contact list that is made available to the user, as a destination for a print or copy job. Access to the networked printer or copier and its associated contact information is often shared by numerous users within an organization.
As the above examples demonstrate, a copier, a facsimile, a scanner, printer, or e-mail can be enhanced when used in conjunction with a user""s contact information. An advantage of using a contact list is that it allows the user to quickly and efficiently address e-mail, facsimiles, print and copy jobs to specific, designated recipients. A disadvantage of the above examples is that the contact information used by shared copiers, facsimiles, and scanners, or multifunction office devices is accessible to all users sharing the device, i.e., the contact information is made public to all of the users.
There is a need for enhanced user recognition support for copiers, facsimiles, scanners, printers, e-mail, and other systems incorporating the functionality of such devices so that, for example, users can access and use their personal contact information when performing the functions offered by the devices. The teachings herein provide a system and method for user recognition support for a multifunction office device. The multifunction office device may integrate one or more of the functions of a copier, a facsimile, a scanner, a printer, and/or e-mail. The multifunction device is not limited, however, to only including the functionality of a copier, a facsimile, a scanner, a printer, and/or e-mail however.
It is an object and advantage of this invention to provide improved user recognition support for copiers, facsimiles, scanners, e-mail, and systems incorporating the functionality of such devices.
The foregoing and other problems are overcome and the object of the invention is realized by methods and apparatus in accordance with embodiments of the teachings herein.
The present teachings pertain to a user recognition support system and method. In accordance with the present teachings, a multifunction device suitable for use with the user recognition support of the present invention is disclosed in the commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No.: 09/557,118, entitled xe2x80x9cRemote Database Support In A Multifunction Office Devicexe2x80x9d; Ser. No. 09/556,554, entitled xe2x80x9cFully Modular Multifunction Devicexe2x80x9d; Ser. No. 09/556,556, entitled xe2x80x9cMultifunction Office Device Having A Configurable Document Processing Pipelinexe2x80x9d; and Ser. No. 09/557,117, entitled xe2x80x9cMultifunction Office Device Having a Graphical User Interface Implemented With A Touch Screenxe2x80x9d, all filed on Apr. 24, 2000, and incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
The multifunction device may generally include a scanner, a printer, and a multifunction controller with a touch screen graphical user interface (GUI). The multifunction device supports scanning, printing, copying, sending and receiving facsimiles (faxes) and sending and receiving e-mails. In accordance with an aspect of these teachings, network connections are made between the printer and the multifunction controller. In addition, the scanner is also a modular device, and preferably uses a standardized personal computer (PC) interface, such as, but not necessarily, a SCSI interface. This arrangement enables the multifunction controller to work with a variety of printers and scanners, while maintaining the performance and appearance of an integrated device. The teachings herein also provide for modularly integrating with directory, library, e-mail, e-fax and e-form middleware, as well as print management middleware, also referred to as print servers, to significantly extend the capabilities of the multifunction device.
User recognition and integration with network-based services, such as a user contact database, simplifies the identification of a user""s contact information at the multifunction device, thereby enabling a user to access and their personal contact information in performing the functions of the multifunction device. The user recognition aspects of the present teachings enable the multifunction device to quickly and unobtrusively recognize a user, and hence the user""s personal contact information, and to then use personal contact information contact in conjunction with the functionality offered by the multifunction device.
The teachings herein also provide an ability to dynamically and bi-directionally integrate remote datastores or databases, including a user contact database containing personal user contact information. The information can be stored, accessed and/or routed to either local or remote locations. The datastore connection is preferably made through common networking interfaces, such as a global data communications network (the Internet is one example), and/or through a local area network (LAN).
In accordance with an aspect of these teachings, there is provided a xe2x80x9ckioskxe2x80x9d-type workflow and interface into remote datastores, thereby allowing easy walkup access and recognition of a user in order to carry out tasks using the functionality of the multifunction device
In accordance with an aspect of these teachings, the multifunction device can access remote datastores to obtain user-specific information such as personal user contact information, user profile and user security information, and can utilize this user-specific information with various functions of the system, including keystroke saving functions, limitation of access rights, and accounting information.
In accordance with these teachings there is provided a multifunction device that includes a multifunction controller, a first interface for coupling to a user recognition device for obtaining identifying information from a user of the multifunction device for verifying the user, and an interface for coupling to a global data communications network, such as the Internet, for receiving user contact information as well as other data for use by the multifunction device. Control of the operation of the multifunction device includes setting operational parameters, selecting a mode of operation of the multifunction device, and destinations for the delivery of documents and data. Control of the multifunction device can be implemented and improved through use of the user recognition aspects of the present invention.
The multifunction device""s user interface and user recognition support enables a user to access and search their personal contact information, which is located in a user contact database and coupled to the multifunction device by, for example, a global data communications network.
The above and other objects, advantages and benefits of the present teachings will be understood by reference to the following description and drawings.